The Newfoundland and Labrador Association for Community Living says people with intellectual disabilities could be denied health care due to what they say are discriminatory triage guidelines set in the event of a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The president of the organization, Dennis Gill, says should cases suddenly spike, and the health care system become overwhelmed, some tough decisions may have to be made. He cites New York, Italy, and Spain as recent examples.
It comes down to who gets a ventilator if one is needed, and according to the Canadian Association for Community Living, people with intellectual disabilities might not get that needed ventilator.
Gill calls that triage policy discriminatory. They’ve written Health Minister John Haggie about the policy, but had yet to receive a response. Hospital visitation is another serious concern for the association.
Executive director Hope Colbourne says the current policy allows the health support team to determine who comes in with a person with an intellectual disability.
That’s not the way it should be handled, according to Colbourne. She states that a support person must be allowed in to help advocate on behalf of the patient.
